Today We Remember 2nd of January 2013

Today in the Church Calendar we remember Basil the Great and Gregory of Nazianzus, Bishops, Teachers of the Faith, 379 and 389 Baz and Greg (to their friends only) are two of the Cappadocian Fathers. Cappodocia was part of modern Turkey and was a largely Greek speaking part of the World at that time. You and I owe an enormous debt of gratitude to these two guys as it was they who undertook an enormous amount of work for us to arrive at an Orthodox position on the nature of Christ. At that time there was a common heresy about called Arianism . Arianism is still around today, it is essentially what Jehovah’s witnesses believe about Jesus. Arians believe he was created rather than begotten and they deny His divinity. The Church at that time was struggling to get unity on what we know today as the Nicene creed . All orthodox Christians (orthodox = right believing not Russian, although they do believe it) hold to this creed, you will probably have said it at some time in Church. Creeds are great as they are sign posts that show us we are on the right road when walking with God. Basil was also not only a Theologian but the father of the Monastic movement that called Christians into radical community, passionate spirituality, and missional living. The social programmes that surrounded the work he carried out were phenomenal feeding many poor in the region. Today people like Shane Claibourne and others are taking up again this way of living to show Gods radical love for the world. Basil and Gregory have left us a legacy to follow of rigorous theology, coupled with radical lifestyle. If our worship of Christ and our love of His word doesn’t result in us wanting to change the World then we must ask if the Holy Spirit does indeed live in us. Lastly let me leave you with a great creed named after Athanasius of Alexandria this guy was awesome he is without a doubt one of the greatest theologians of all History. So here’s what he said on the Trinity, it is pure dudishness…… WHOSOEVER will be saved: before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholic Faith. Which Faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled: without doubt he shall perish everlastingly. And the Catholick Faith is this: That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; Neither confounding the Persons: nor dividing the Substance. For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son: and another of the Holy Ghost. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, is all one: the Glory equal, the Majesty co-eternal. Such as the Father is, such is the Son: and such is the Holy Ghost. The Father uncreate, the Son uncreate: and the Holy Ghost uncreate. The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible: and the Holy Ghost incomprehensible. The Father eternal, the Son eternal: and the Holy Ghost eternal. And yet they are not three eternals: but one eternal. As also there are not three incomprehensibles, nor three uncreated: but one uncreated, and one incomprehensible. So likewise the Father is Almighty, the Son Almighty: and the Holy Ghost Almighty. And yet they are not three Almighties: but one Almighty. So the Father is God, the Son is God: and the Holy Ghost is God. And yet they are not three Gods: but one God. So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord: and the Holy Ghost Lord. And yet not three Lords: but one Lord. For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity: to acknowledge every Person by himself to be God and Lord; So are we forbidden by the Catholick Religion: to say there be three Gods, or three Lords. The Father is made of none: neither created, nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone: not made, nor created, but begotten. The Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son: neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding. So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons: one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts. And in this Trinity none is afore, or after other: none is greater, or less than another; But the whole three Persons are co-eternal together: and co-equal. So that in all things, as is aforesaid: the Unity in Trinity, and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped. He therefore that will be saved: must thus think of the Trinity. Furthermore it is necessary to everlasting salvation: that he also believe rightly the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the right Faith is that we believe and confess: that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man; God, of the Substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds: and Man, of the Substance of his Mother, born in the world; Perfect God, and Perfect Man: of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting; Equal to the Father, as touching his Godhead: and inferior to the Father, as touching his Manhood. Who although he be God and Man: yet he is not two, but one Christ; One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh: but by taking of the Manhood into God; One altogether, not by confusion of Substance: but by unity of Person. For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man: so God and Man is one Christ. Who suffered for our salvation: descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead. He ascended into heaven, he sitteth on the right hand of the Father, God Almighty: from whence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies: and shall give account for their own works. And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting: and they that have done evil into everlasting fire. This is the Catholick Faith: which except a man believe faithfully, he cannot be saved. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end. Amen. The Cappodocian Fathers, Acessed at : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cappadocian_Fathers on 2 January, 2013 Arianism and Arius 4th Century. accessed at : http://www.ntcanon.org/Arianism.shtml on 2 January, 2013 Church of England Nicene Creed. Accessed at : http://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-worship/worship/texts/newpatterns/contents/sectione.aspx on 2 January, 2013 Review of On Social Justice by St Basil the Great, St Basil the Great, On Social Justice, tr. Fr C. Paul Schroeder (Crestwood, NY: SVS, 2009).Reviewed. Acessed at : http://logismoitouaaron.blogspot.co.uk/2010/03/on-social-justice-by-st-basil-great.html on 2 January, 2013. Athanasius of Alexandria. Acessed at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athanasius_of_Alexandria on 2 January, 2013 Text from The Book of Common Prayer, the rights in which are vested in the Crown, is reproduced by permission of the Crown's Patentee, Cambridge University Press.